From hereonafter throughout this specification the use of the word compressing is to be considered synonymous with the ability to also pump therefore while the apparatus described throughout this invention may relate to the compressing of a fluid, it is to be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the apparatus defined is equally capable of pumping fluid.
It is customary at present to provide compressors in two basic types, those associated with positive displacement “intermittent flow” and those adapted to provide “dynamic” or “continuous flow”.
For the most part the positive displacement type compressors utilize what could best be described as a squeezing confinement effect to force fluid from a larger enclosed volume towards a much smaller chambered outlet.
On the other hand the dynamic compressor type arrangements utilize mechanical action so as to force admitted fluid drawn into the system to increase its velocity which is then converted into pressure.
The positive displacement compressor for the most part are of a rotary volumetric type, typically with radial vanes, driven by an electric motor. These compressors draw fluid from the atmosphere through an intake opening and directed to a pressure tank through a minimum pressure valve which opens only when a predetermined minimum pressure has been reached within a compressor unit.
Alternatively the dynamic compressors are conventionally arranged so that power which is also for the most part derived from a driving motor is transmitted to a crankshaft through pulleys and/or belts to rotate the crankshaft so as to reciprocate a piston which is received in a cylinder provided at the upper side of the crank case which defines a main body of the compressor, thus causing the outside fluid to be sucked into the cylinder from a suction pod through a filter, wherein compressed fluid is then delivered from a delivery port to a compressed fluid storage tank.
Both these arrangements have significant disadvantages not the least that for the rotary constructed compressor with the intermittent operation type control system means that the operations electric motor is suspended when the pressure reaches the upper limit value, while this may reduce electric power loss, nonetheless since the motor is started over again from the stationary state when the pressure falls thereafter, it is impossible to promptly supply compressed fluid when required.
Alternatively the continuous operation as discussed above also has its downfalls since the electric motor is continuously run even when the unloader is in an operative state, electric power loss is unavoidable, which not only adds extra cost to running the compressor unit but also importantly such arrangements make it unsuitable for conditions in which the rate of consumption of the compressed fluid is relatively high.
Therefore there clearly remains a need in the relevant art of compressor fluid units to come up with a new form of technology that can address these problems and others associated with conventional assemblies that are either definable or interpretable as intermittent or continuous flow characterization.
Accordingly embodiments of this invention provide a new compressor unit that provides a configuration which is substantially different in design than hitherto provided for compressor unit assemblies but also one that is able to provide a means in which both fluid can be admitted and discharged to and from a single compression chamber during a single cycle.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a complete reading of the specification.